central valley Archives - Page 20 of 26

SGMA

Bill aimed at repurposing farmland is a step closer to passing

August 20, 2021

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water reporting intern

Lawmakers may be close to passing a bill aimed at helping farmers cope with water restrictions. Assembly Bill 252, the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Incentive Program, would set up a program under the California Department of Conservation to use grant money for repurposing former ag land in critically over drafted groundwater basins. The bill was authored…

Drinking Water • Drought

Drought outpaces plans to fix failing drinking water systems

August 18, 2021

• by Jesse Vad and Lois Henry

This story was produced with funding and support from Fresnoland, for the Fresno Bee. Republishing is encouraged 48 hours after initial posting. A lot has happened over the past five years, but not much has changed in the tiny farmworker town of Okieville. Wells went dry enmasse in Tulare County, including in Okieville, during the last…

Rivers

Local group files papers in fight over Kern River

August 10, 2021

• by Lois Henry

A new player has entered the legal fray over the Kern River — the public. Actually, it’s a consortium of Bakersfield and other nonprofit, public interest groups that hope to sway the state Water Resources Control Board to, ultimately, re-water the mostly dry Kern River through town. The Flowing Kern Coalition made its debut Tuesday…

Drought • Rivers

State board’s curtailment order could have long-reaching effects

August 10, 2021

• by Lois Henry

The real test of the state’s recently passed ban on the use of water from most of the state’s rivers won’t be later this summer when the ban will likely to go into effect, it will be the upcoming water year. And possibly longer term. This irrigation season is nearly over. But growers and water…

Drought

Tulare County officials say state red tape made water crisis, suffering worse for Teviston

July 25, 2021

• by Jesse Vad and Lois Henry

This story was reported and written by Jesse Vad, SJV Water intern and Lois Henry, SJV Water CEO. It was produced with funding and support from Fresnoland, for the Fresno Bee. Republishing is allowed 48 hours after initial posting. The state’s response to the water crisis that gripped tiny Teviston, California earlier this summer should…

Drought • Friant-Kern Canal • Rivers

Endangered salmon program waiting, watching for possible call on Millertion water

July 21, 2021

• by Lois Henry

As the summer grinds on, farms, towns and a critical native salmon restoration program that all rely on water from Millerton Lake near Fresno continue to hope their water won’t be needed to fulfill irrigation contracts further up the San Joaquin Valley. But in this parched year, nothing is certain. If water is required out…

Rivers • SGMA

Kern River water rights case gets hearing date

July 19, 2021

• by Lois Henry

Whether the Kern River truly has spare water and, if so, how much, has been left up in the air for more than a decade. Now, 11 years after the State Water Resources Control Board ruled the Kern River was not fully appropriated, it will finally start the process of getting at those two key…

Friant-Kern Canal

State ponies up $100 million toward $2.35 billion repair bill for major canals

July 16, 2021

• by Lois Henry

Several of the state’s key canals will get a sprinkle of state money this year and next toward fixing more than $2 billion in damage caused by sinking land from excessive groundwater pumping. On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a massive budget “trailer” bill, which authorizes actual funding for programs and services outlined in the…

Personalities

“Silver tsunami” could open doors to California’s top water jobs

July 6, 2021

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water reporting intern

Job alert: The Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District, which serves nearly 30,000 acres of farms in Kern County, is hiring a new general manager. But what exactly does the general manager of an irrigation district do? It’s a question that isn’t easily answered, even by water executives themselves. “I found it very hard to describe what I…

Rivers

Kern River memories, photos sought

July 6, 2021

• by Lois Henry

The grassroots group Bring Back the Kern has launched a new public awareness campaign to pluck residents’ memories of a flowing river through Bakersfield. Bring Back the Kern, formed in 2020, advocates finding ways for water to flow through the Kern River channel through town on a more frequent and consistent basis. The group has…

NEWS

Bill aimed at repurposing farmland is a step closer to passing

Drought outpaces plans to fix failing drinking water systems

Local group files papers in fight over Kern River

State board’s curtailment order could have long-reaching effects

Tulare County officials say state red tape made water crisis, suffering worse for Teviston

Endangered salmon program waiting, watching for possible call on Millertion water

Kern River water rights case gets hearing date

State ponies up $100 million toward $2.35 billion repair bill for major canals

“Silver tsunami” could open doors to California’s top water jobs

Kern River memories, photos sought

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